


This Is No Dalliance

by Philyra



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Gen, women in history
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-21
Updated: 2014-10-21
Packaged: 2018-02-22 01:18:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2489120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Philyra/pseuds/Philyra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Darcy explains about an obscure British queen, gains a new historical crackship, and maybe even gains a ship of her own. Contains assorted superhero cameos as other historical figures.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Is No Dalliance

Maria scrutinized the invitation in her hand, beautifully lettered and decorated with a spray of jumbled images. She could make out a constellation, what looked like a water molecule, and some kind of mathematical formula. “The theme is _what_?”

“’Overlooked People in History.’ Or, specifically, ‘Overlooked Women in History.’” Darcy tucked her StarkPad underneath her arm. “I may or may not have convinced Barton to come dressed as a woman.”

She grinned wryly. “I’d pay to see that.”

“Technically, you’re paying to come anyway. All proceeds from the gala go to furthering girls and other under-represented groups in STEM fields.” Darcy bounced on her heels. “Jane, Pepper, and I came up with the theme.”

“It’s a good one.” She nodded at Darcy’s satchel. “You’re not hand-delivering all of them, are you?” Life as Pepper’s assistant was difficult enough – surely there were better uses for her time.

Darcy grinned slyly. “Only the VIP ones. Neil deGrasse Tyson is next!”

“Ah, well. Thanks for the invitation, I’ll be there.”

“Start thinking about your costume!” she called over her shoulder as she sailed out of the office.

* * *

 

Darcy had to admit, she’d worried that no one would keep to the theme. Oh sure, the Avengers and their associated parties would, and the scientists as well. But to her surprise and delight, no one was out of costume. Everywhere she looked, conversations raged as attendees approached one another, asked about their costumes, and learned a little bit of history.

The best part about the gala was the kids – after all, the fundraising was all for them. Groups from inner city schools and after-school STEM programs wandered around with their parents, asking everyone about their costumes, writing them down for future reports, and proudly explicating their own costumes. There was a particularly large group around James Rhodes (looking oddly like a Roman emperor), Sam Wilson (pulling off an old, French-style military uniform with great panache), and Carol Danvers (in turn of the century aviation gear). Clint had come as a woman, as promised, in an 18th century gown and a sword strapped to his waist. Nat wandered around with him, dressed as Rosalind Franklin.

Maria, in a nod to her mother’s side of the family, was dressed in a reddish-orange printed shift dress with an elaborate gold headdress. She was chatting with Melinda May, who was sporting some impressive pirate garb, and Steve, draped in a toga. She was fairly certain that he was a Greek scientist of some sort and not acting out some latent fraternity fantasy. Jane, as Hypatia of Alexandria (of course), was deep in conversation with Neil deGrasse Tyson, who was decked out in some truly glorious printed silks and holding what looked like miniature cybernetic models.

“My lady Darcy!” Fandral the Dashing sidled up to her, his eyes bright and appreciative. “Volstagg tells me that your costumes are of contemporary figures in Midgard’s history."

Darcy glanced across the room to where Volstagg, clad rather appropriately as Vercingétorix, was standing beside Lady Sif, looking gorgeous and intimidating in Mongol warrior clothes, and Hogun, dressed as a Mughal emperor. “Not exactly, but it’s close enough. Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes.” She was very proud of her costume, which consisted of a sleeveless tartan dress layered over a sleeveless blue dress. A red cape swirled over her shoulders, pinned in place with a reproduction brooch, accompanied by a heavy reproduction torc. She had Steve to thank for her temporary tattoos, which swirled up her arms, her neck, and the sides of her face.

“A queen! In that case,” he bowed grandly. “Your Majesty.”

She tilted her head and grinned at him. “Aren’t you a king yourself…Ragnar?”

He straightened. “I admit I was surprised by how many have guessed the identity of my character. Thor tells me there is a popular Midgard tee-vee series about his life, though his exploits have been greatly embellished. I have taken great pleasure in regaling everyone with the true tales of the man we knew.”

“You’ll have to tell me sometime. It sounds like a great story.”

“It is, indeed.” He hailed a passing server, quirked a brow at her, and at her nod, procured two champagne flutes. “But I would hear of your queen first. What is her tale?”

Stark galas really had their perks. The champagne tasted like sunshine. Darcy paused and gathered her thoughts, aware of her audience and his wholehearted love for a grand saga. “We don’t know much about her, actually. Tacitus mentions her twice in his works. You can say that he disapproved of her.”

Fandral leaned forward, fascinated. “How so?”

“Well, Cartimandua was a queen in her own right, which was already unusual to the Romans. She had the audacity to divorce her husband Venutius in favor of Vellocatus, who was by all accounts a common soldier. When Venutius and his family attacked her in revenge and for supporting Rome, she defeated him by taking several members of his family hostage. She captured the rebel Caratacus and turned him over to Rome. Tacitus didn’t like the fact that she betrayed a fellow countryman, even though she was a loyal Roman citizen. Cartimandua eventually sought asylum in Rome when her ex-husband’s forces grew too strong, and that’s the last we ever hear of her.”

“Are her actions so truly unusual?” he inquired curiously. “There is no dishonor in finding another lover if one’s previous partner is unsatisfactory. She shows cunning in defeating her husband, and loyalty by capturing a known rebel.”

She grinned wryly. “Cartimandua’s crime was that she was a badly behaved woman – at least by our historical standards. History never looks kindly on those types of women.”

“Nonsense, they are to be admired!” He ran his fingers over his beard contemplatively. “My long acquaintance with the Lady Sif and short, but informative acquaintance with the formidable women of Midgard – present company included, of course-“ He winked at her and she shook her head, amused. “-has taught me that the world is better when we act beyond the roles expected of us.”

He certainly was a constant surprise. “I like the way you think, Flynn Rider.” At his perplexed frown, she elaborated, “Remind me to show you _Tangled_ sometime.”

Some of his confusion fled, only to be replaced by a clear, searching, and surprisingly sober look. “Is that what Midgardians call a date, Lady Darcy?” he asked carefully.

Darcy looked at him and considered. Their first meeting had been adrenaline-charged and she wasn’t immune to a kiss on the hand from a handsome man in armor. There was no denying the chemistry and attraction that erupted between them every time the Asgard contingent came to visit Thor. Fandral was incredibly singular in his attentions and wholehearted in his appreciation of her entire being. It was difficult _not_ to be swayed by him.

But she’d gotten over her bad boy phase long before New Mexico and she was wise to his reputation and his ways. While she could admire the way that he threw himself whole-heartedly into his affairs (there was nothing false about Fandral, not at all), it did not change the fact that eventually, they faded away.

Darcy knew herself well enough to say that she wanted someone who would realize that when things were right, you seized onto them with both hands, held tight, and rode it out. For better or for worse.

Was there potential with Fandral? Almost certainly. But it would be useless unless he figured that out for himself. “It could be,” she responded, equally careful.

He moved in slowly, his hand reaching for hers as a smile, soft and reverent and a little wondering, spread across his face. “I would be happy if it were,” he confessed. “I have…ached for you these years, Lady Darcy. The feeling is not new, for I have felt it over the centuries. But not so sharply, nor so sweetly.” Fandral sighed and brought her hand to his lips, and it took everything in her to keep her knees from buckling. “I had not thought to press my suit, not when you made it so clear that you would accept no mere dalliance.”

When had they gone from discussing a historical figure to making heartfelt confessions? Heartfelt confessions that seemed more suited to Shakespeare than to one Darcy Lewis. Words. She could handle making words, right? “And this isn’t a dalliance?”

“Not anymore, my lady.”

“I’m not your lady,” Darcy said automatically. Some of his brightness dimmed at that and she cursed, stepping forward to cradle his face with her unoccupied hand. “Not yet, at least.” There. She could admit to the possibility, simply because she _wanted_ to. She wanted this to work.

Comprehension dawned on that handsome face and Fandral dropped her hand from his lips, changing his grip so that her fingers were linked with his. “And how would you have me then, Lady Darcy?” he inquired, his other hand coming up to trace the torc about her neck, then over the blue tattoos on her skin. “A knight before his lady? A king before his queen?”

She shook her head, fighting to keep the stupid grin off her face. “Not a knight. Not a king. A partner.”

“That I can manage,” Fandral murmured, eyes hooded as he tilted his head towards hers.

“Oh, thank god,” Tony drawled from behind them, severely swathed from head to toe in black and white. Fandral dropped his head to Darcy’s shoulder while she shot the billionaire a death glare. “You’ve finally gotten your act together.”

“Like you’re one to talk, Tony. Leave them alone.” Pepper, dressed as Victoria Woodhull, looped her arm through his and dragged him towards a group of kids and parents.

Darcy laughed then, and caught Thor’s eye from across the room as the god lifted a glass in a toast (while wearing the garb of a medieval abbess). “Come on, Viking,” she prodded, smiling at Fandral. “Let’s dance. I have a feeling that Ragnar and Cartimandua are about to become my historical crackship.”

“I do not know what that means,” he began as she towed him towards the dance floor. “But I am sure that you will tell me.”

“Count on it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Cartimandua, like Boudica, is only mentioned within the classical sources - specifically, Tacitus' Annals (12.40, 2-7) and Histories (3.45). If you're curious, I'd recommend looking at different translations to see how people have interpreted Tacitus' words. Some are more sympathetic to the queen, others more pejorative. Tacitus is far more admiring of Boudica than Cartimandua, which is interesting because Boudica was the rebel and Cartimandua was the loyal Roman citizen. Her wiki page can be found [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartimandua).
> 
> And because I cannot leave well enough alone, I gave you more historical figures to peruse: Rhodey is [Septimius Severus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septimius_Severus), Sam is [Toussaint Louverture](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toussaint_Louverture), Carol is [Harriet Quimby](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Quimby), Clint is [Julie d'Aubigny](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_d%27Aubigny), Nat is [Rosalind Franklin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin), Maria is [the Lady of Cao](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_of_Cao), Melinda is [Ching Shih](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ching_Shih), Steve is [Archytas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archytas), Jane is [Hypatia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypatia), Neil is [al-Jazarī](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Jazari), Fandral is [Ragnar Lodbrok](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnar_Lodbrok), Volstagg is [Vercingétorix](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vercingetorix), Sif is [Alaqai Beki](http://www.fofweb.com/History/HistRefMain.asp?iPin=EME010&SID=2&DatabaseName=Ancient+and+Medieval+History+Online&InputText=%22Alaqai+Beki%22&SearchStyle=&dTitle=Alaqai+Beki&TabRecordType=Biography&BioCountPass=2&SubCountPass=1&DocCountPass=0&ImgCountPass=0&MapCountPass=0&FedCountPass=&MedCountPass=0&NewsCountPass=0&RecPosition=1&AmericanData=&WomenData=&AFHCData=&IndianData=&WorldData=&AncientData=Set&GovernmentData=), Hogun is [Akbar the Great](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akbar), Tony is [Lise Meitner](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lise_Meitner), Pepper is [Victoria Woodhull](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Woodhull), and finally, Thor is [St. Hilda](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilda_of_Whitby).


End file.
